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THREAD: Sometimes the @SAPoliceService can add insult to injury - literally. This is our experience at the Durban North SAPS yesterday, after the assault. The closest police station - Broad Street - was extremely busy so we opted to go to the one en route to our office.
I was limping, so Nkanyiso helped me in. At the front desk, a female sergeant - Hlophe - asked us what we needed. We explained. She asked several times in disbelief if we, as three men, were assaulted by one guard. Then...
“What did you do to get assaulted?”
“What did you do to get assaulted?”
Again, we explained.
H: “So why did you come here?”
I said the closest station was busy and we still needed to get to a doctor so we chose a quieter station.
H: “Look outside. Does this look quiet to you? Huh?”
H: “So why did you come here?”
I said the closest station was busy and we still needed to get to a doctor so we chose a quieter station.
H: “Look outside. Does this look quiet to you? Huh?”
At this point I stopped talking and let Nkanyiso explain the rest. I didn’t have the energy to argue. She shoved some forms at us, with minimal explanation, and we got on our way. We would have to return after a doctor had checked us.
We got back to the station before 8pm after the hospital. We had to explain the case from scratch to the new shift.
“You can’t open a case here,” a policewoman says.
I said we’re allowed to open a case anywhere.
She dismissed me and turned to a captain behind her.
“You can’t open a case here,” a policewoman says.
I said we’re allowed to open a case anywhere.
She dismissed me and turned to a captain behind her.
He says: “You can’t do it here.”
That’s it.
I countered.
With visible irritation, he says the computer doesn’t work and if we opened a case here the “docket would just lie on the desk”. I asked if the computers would be broken forever. He didn’t know.
That’s it.
I countered.
With visible irritation, he says the computer doesn’t work and if we opened a case here the “docket would just lie on the desk”. I asked if the computers would be broken forever. He didn’t know.
By that time, after the day we’d had, we were defeated. Driving back to Broad Street was too much. We will deal with this on Monday.
The point of this thread is: If a rape survivor went to that station, would she have to endure a similar line of questioning?
“What did you do to get (raped)?”
No. We deserve better, @SAPoliceService.
“What did you do to get (raped)?”
No. We deserve better, @SAPoliceService.
How accurate are police statistics if people - who are put off by a bad attitude - simply don’t open cases? This isn’t my first personal experience of this nature with @SAPoliceService. And, too often, I hear these stories from other South Africans. Something is seriously wrong.
